Dear Dante
by emyy250
Summary: Fame brings fans and fans send mail.
1. Chapter 1

**Suicide mention**

 _Dear Dante,_

 _My sister is a big fan of yours. She used to tell me stories of your adventures. One day, I would be just like you. Not her, me._

 _You see, she has a weak heartbeat. She would never be able to do the things you do on a regular basis. So, that left me, the healthy one, to be the world travling Seeker. Anyway, she lived as normally as she could. But that wasn't enough. She wanted a new heart. A strong heart. Secretly. She didn't want to bother our parents with something that would probably never happen._

 _I told her we could afford it, but she refused. She was going to die before me anyway. I got mad at her, funny how love works. At the school, we got picked on. She ignored them. I tried. My sis helped me through it, though. She wanted me be to happy. It stopped eventually._

 _We almost went to a party, but some asshole scared her and she nearly died. I wanted to hurt that guy so bad. I didn't get to. She was more disappointed that I didn't get go than upset about being in the hospital. She's always there for me._

 _So, I'll give her my heart. I don't think I was suppose to know I was a match. It doesn't matter. By the time you get to this, I'll be dead._

 _Signed, a loving brother_

 _May 2nd 2014_

"No, no, no!" I growled. I let the fanmail pile up again. Not because I wanted to, there was always so much.

This letter, suicide note, was a year old. So many people, so many families, write to me saying I gave their children and them hope and comfort in dark times. Those letters were better the ones like this. People who were my fans a year ago aren't here now. How many letters had I missed?

"Dante? What's wrong?" Zhalia put a hand on my shoulder.

"... I got fanmail. I always get so much, I can't get to it all in time. Someone wrote me a year ago saying how their sister had heart condition. They decided to commit suicide to give her their heart. I just got to it." Anger, frustration, sadness all whirled inside me.

"It's not your fault. There's no way you could have done anything." She told me. I could have tried to write back.

"I... need air." I left the piles of papers and went to the streets.


	2. Chapter 2

The Walk

"Dante!" I looked up. It was Lok and he had a ice cream cone.

"Hey." I smiled a little.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Damn it!

"Nothing you need to worry about." I said.

"You want some ice cream? It makes me feel better." He held the cone to my face. It looked like chocolate. Sharing food must be from being the youngest and a sibling.

"Uh- Sure." I took a small lick. It was chocolate with cookie bits. He waited until I took a few more licks to take it back.

I let Lok walk with me as I didn't really feel like trying to lose him. He was feeding off my worry and making it his. It was tiring. I tried to tell him I was fine, nothing too important, but he just kept that worried, I-wanna-help, face. This was my burden and mine alone.

"Dante, where are we going?" He tried to clean his face with his hand.

"I was just walking around. We can go home now." I looked at the street signs and went through the streets mentally to figure my way home.

Lok followed, trusting I knew my way around. I did get us back to my house fairly soon. Zhalia was sitting on the couch, watching TV. She gave me a quick scan and decided I was alright for the moment. Den was probably in his room or playing a game.

"Hi, Zhal." Lok waved.

"You have stuff all over your face, Lok." She frowned.

"Really? I thought I got it all." He licked at his lips, his tongue too short to reach the ring of dried chocolate.

"Go wash up." I told him. He went to the kitchen.

"Honestly, he such a child. He can't even eat right." Zhalia shook her head.

"That was ice cream and you know he eats it slowly." I retorted.

"How was your walk?" Her tone softened.

"It was fine. I think I'm done with opening mail for the day." I still had to clear my desk of it though.

"Good. But-" She stopped as Lok came back.

"What are we watching?" He looked at Zhal. She glared at him then to me. I wasn't getting out this conversation so easily next time.

 **Each chapter will have a title from now on.**


	3. Chapter 3

Finally

I cleared my desk and did my paperwork until Zhalia called me for dinner. I went downstairs and filled my plate before the boys took everything. Tonight's meal was cranberry marinated chicken, instant potatoes, and salad.

Harrison used raspberry dressing on his salad and added pita chips. Den talked about how about he was going to win the round before Zhal called us. Zhalia watched me. I nodded and piped up when necessary, but nothing more. We let the brothers eat their brownies in the living room and put away the food.

"Dante..." She started.

"I'm fine. It's just draining is all." It always took a few days to get over.

"It's not healthy." Zhal turned to me.

"You're not taking my brownies away!" Den darted in and took the pan.

"Den! Nevermind. Dante, I don't want you to bottle your sadness up. For it to become something worse. I don't want you to blame yourself. You may a part of your fans' lives, but they have other things they love too. You don't let being Seeker get in the way of having fun. So, don't let sad letters get in the way of the happy ones. And talk to me." She breathed in.

"I understand, Zhal. I'll talk to you when it gets too much. It just always hurts when I hear a fan died. I'll need time, ok?" I explained.

"Ok." She patted my shoulder and went to go check on the boys and see if they ate too much.


	4. Chapter 4

Epilogue

A few days later

Zhalia's POV

"Hey, sweetheart." Dante kissed my on the cheek.

"Hey, babe. What was that for?" I asked, smiling.

"I just love you." He sat next to me on the couch. He had gotten better since that letter came. It felt good to have him back to normal.

I scooted next to him and nuzzled under his arm, "I love you too."

Zhalia's POV End


End file.
